Beartooth Bullets

The largest of game

Beartooth’s 525 gr PILEDRIVER

Here are some pic’s of Beartooths 525 gr cast bullets recovered from the carcass of a hippo bull during my hunting season this year fired from my 45-70 1895 GBL with 18.5 inch barrel.

Load data for 525gr Piledriver: Winchester brass & Win. LR magnum primers, loaded with 40gr of H322

I’m a PH from Zambia so the I test fired the bullets into the hippo carcass once we had recovered it from the river and after my client had shot it so it was not alive but we had not started the skinning yet. Unfortunately these were the only bullets I had time to recover, I also tested JB Youngs 550’s & Oregon trails Trueshot 430 gr’s on another hippo BUT could not find the bullets – I had to quarter the hippo and hang it up as Lion bait asap – so likely there a few lions and Hyena’s with lead in their belly.

These BTB shots were aimed at the middle of the shoulder from 20 feet and broke through both the heavy shoulder blade and the ribcage (without fracturing bone, clean holes), traveled through the vitals to the opposing ribs. One bullet traveled through the opposing shoulderblade and lodged under the heavy skin while the other was firmly stuck in the shoulderblade.

massive damage to the heavy ribs

2″ tough Skin as well as heavy bone proved no obstacle

width of the carcass the Pile driver went through

Pile Driver Bullet recovered from opposite shoulder – excellent weight retention

There were 3 other PH’s in camp with me – I went to Africa with two 45-70’s – one 1895 GBL out of the box and another customised by Wild West guns out of Alaska – needless to say that I returned home empty handed, so impressed were they with these small dynamite sticks! The concensus in camp was that it would not be a first choice stopper after wounded buffalo or elephant BUT we all would have no hesitation taking it in after wounded Lion or Leopard with quality soft points.